


I'm Still Here

by Stargazer19



Series: ZaDr Week 3 [5]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Adult Dib (Invader Zim), Adult Zim (Invader Zim), Aged-Up Character(s), Brief Movie Spoilers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Neglect, M/M, Treasure Planet (Disney)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:49:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25490425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stargazer19/pseuds/Stargazer19
Summary: Dib was really excited for their latest movie night. He didn't expect it to bring up bad memories of his relationship with his dad. Zim didn't mean to trigger those memories, and does his best to help Dib come to terms with them.ZaDr Week 3 Prompt: Hurt/Comfort
Relationships: Dib & Professor Membrane, Dib & Zim (Invader Zim), Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)
Series: ZaDr Week 3 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838686
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	I'm Still Here

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the late submission! I was super busy yesterday and didn't get the chance to finish writing this. I had to watch Treasure Planet again to make sure my references to the moments were accurate. It's also just a really good movie! If you haven't seen it, you should check it out! Song referenced is "I'm Still Here" from Treasure Planet.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Dib had been looking forward to this movie night for the past week. His boyfriend had heard of this neat animated space movie from one of his colleagues. Which he promptly decided they would be watching as their next movie. Even Dib had to admit that the film sounded cool. There was no way that a movie with space pirates could be boring. He smiled as he sat down on the couch with his bowl of popcorn. Zim’s lekku were twitching with excitement as the alien navigated the streaming app for the movie. “Treasure Planet. What an interesting name!” Dib lightly bumped Zim with his elbow. “Do you know any planets like that, Zim?”

The irken scoffed as the title card appeared. “Please. Zim has not heard of such a planet. Besides, any planet with a name like that is either a legend or a trap.” He turned back to the movie. It finally started explaining the plot of a little boy listening to the legend of Treasure Planet. Dib felt his heart pang when he noticed that it was only the kid and his mother. He tried not to show how much it hurt when the mom played with her son and showed support for her son’s fascination with the legend. Was that how his mother could’ve been with him and Gaz?

The movie continued, with a time skip to the boy as a young man, riding a hovering sailboard. Dib winced as the young man, Jim, got caught by the cops and was brought home to his mother’s inn. Zim was watching with rapt attention, unaware of Dib’s reaction. The human watched as the mother scolded him, and the diners stared. He had been brought home similarly several times because he was caught trespassing on private property while on a paranormal hunt. Those days were always the worst since his dad would thank the officers and then proceed to scold him for not pursuing real science. He never noticed if Dib was hurt upon his return. All his life, it was always ‘real science’ this, and ‘real science’ that. So, as the movie continued, Dib found himself really connecting with Jim. He wanted to know how Jim had changed so much from the happy kid in the prologue. How did he become so jaded and broken? And what had happened to his father? Dib wondered, leaning in slightly as the plot showed that Treasure Planet was real. Jim had been given the map, and he was determined to find the treasure for his mother’s inn.

Zim smirked as more characters were introduced. “I like the captain already. She and her first mate remind me of us on our trips with their banter.” Dib laughed at him.

The light-hearted teasing helped him relax a little from his earlier tenseness. “Oh, you mean when we go somewhere, and I have to stop you from infuriating every alien within a 20-foot radius?” Zim narrowed his eyes at him.

“They were asking for it. Besides, you infuriate most of them with your staring. It’s just as rude on other planets as it is on earth.” The two broke out into raucous laughter. They settled down to focus on the movie as the ship launched for the port. “Remind me to design one of these later. It would be most enjoyable to ride.” Zim whispered as the large ship blasted away from the port. Dib agreed. That and the hover sailboard would be fun to drive.

Dib’s eyes widened as it was revealed that the cook, Silver, was the leader of the hired space crew and that they were planning a mutiny. He was already distrustful of the guy, but why reveal it so early in the movie? It forgot all about his question a moment later when it was revealed that Jim’s father abandoned his family. Dib felt a wave of righteous anger burn inside him. How dare his father just dump his family and leave? He didn’t notice when Zim flashed him a worried look.

Zim hadn’t known that the protagonist had issues with his father, let alone the fact that those issues were a significant part of the story. When the irken turned to check on his boyfriend, his concern grew as he saw the angry grimace that Dib directed at the tv. Zim opened his mouth, intent on suggesting that they watch a different movie when the music became louder. He blinked at the screen. ‘There’s a song in this movie?’ When Zim worriedly gazed at Dib again, the angry expression was gone, so he decided to wait.

Dib hadn’t been expecting a song in the movie, but it was animated, so he sat back as the scene changed to show Silver commanding Jim to do chores. _“I am a question to the world. Not an answer to be heard, or a moment that’s held in your arms.”_ The human snorted. It was a little edgy, but he understood what Jim meant. He was misunderstood, just like Dib. _“And what do you think you’d ever say, I won’t listen anyway.”_ Jim bailed on Silver as the cook tried to teach him how to tie a knot. But Jim tied it perfectly from barely paying attention. _“You don’t know me, and I’ll never be what you want me to be.”_ Dib sat up. It was like the movie was speaking to him. He didn’t know how many times a similar thought ran through his mind when he got in trouble with his dad. Almost every time was because he brought up the paranormal. Dib clenched his fists tightly as he continued listening to the song. _“And what do you think you’d understand? I’m a boy-, no, I’m a man. You can’t take me and throw me away.”_

The scene cut away to a flashback. Jim was a kid again, building a toy sailboard when his father came home. _“And how can you learn what’s never shown? Yeah, you stand here on your own. They don’t know me, cause I’m not here.”_ His father walked past him, practically ignoring his son, except for a quick hair ruffle. Dib narrowed his eyes at the screen. That’s precisely what his father always did when Dib was growing up. He remembered getting a journal for his birthday as a kid, and he had filled it with research notes about cryptids. When Dib showed it to his father, the man only sighed and complained about how he was insane. His father never noticed how much that hurt him. Dib had locked himself in his room for the rest of the night. That was the day he had vowed to prove that the paranormal was real. Then he would get the respect and recognition he always wanted.

Suddenly, the movie paused. “Hey, wait! I was watching that!” Dib yelled and turned to face a concerned Zim. The irken narrowed his eyes and the remote away farther.

“I don’t care, Dib. Zim did not realize that the protagonist’s relationship with his father would remind you of your own. You have always struggled with Professor Membrane’s illogical perception of how you should act and Zim will not play this movie if it hurts you like that.” Dib glared at Zim before lunging at him. Zim ducked underneath his long arms and raced into the other room. The human cursed as he gave chase.

“You don’t understand anything! My father has always thrown me to the side the moment I’d proved to be even a trace of a handful. Nothing I do is ever good enough for him!” Dib cornered Zim by the front door. The alien slid the remote across the floor, underneath Dib, and darted for it while he was distracted. “Jim and I are kindred spirits! I need to find out how he dealt with it! How he learned not to want his father’s approval anymore! How he learned to live with the aching feeling every day!” As he spotted Zim rush back into the living room, Dib darted forward and tackled him. The remote went spinning across the floor, stopping somewhere he didn’t get the chance to see. That didn’t matter, though, because Zim’s pak legs popped out of his pak and flipped them over.

Zim glared as he straddled his boyfriend. Tears welled up in the corner of his eyes, but the irken refused to let them fall. Dib froze when he saw them. “You think I don’t understand? I understand _clearly_. Not only was I the shortest Irken, but I was also defective. I was mocked and harassed my whole life, but I ignored it because I would’ve done anything for the Tallests.” Dib felt his anger seep out of him. He never meant to hurt Zim, it’s just-. No, Zim was right. The movie bothered him a lot more than he had realized. But Zim had noticed and tried to help him. “You know Irkens don’t have parents, so all of our love and loyalty is directed at the Tallests. And Zim spent year after year trying to make them proud. Hoping for any form of positive attention that I could get. And you know how I dealt with the pain when my world was torn out from under me?” Zim couldn’t hold back the tears any longer as he hissed at Dib.

Dib gently pushed himself up into a sitting position. He felt like such an ass. Zim was also abandoned, and here Dib was, yelling at Zim while his boyfriend was affected by the movie. He hugged Zim close, and after a couple of weak punches in protest, Zim sank into his arms. “Zim could deal with it because he had you and Gaz.” Zim gripped his shirt tightly in his claws. “Without you, Zim doesn’t know what would’ve happened. You two helped me learn about the earth, and how to explore who I am. I didn’t want or need the Tallests approval anymore when yours and Gaz’s meant so much more to me.”

Tears slid down Dib’s face as he buried his face in Zim’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He felt Zim’s lekku twitch against his hair. “I was angry, and I took it out on you. You understand me better than anyone, and I should’ve realized that you were also hurting.” Dib pulled away so he could look Zim in the eyes. “Thank you for always watching out for me. I’m glad I have you and Gaz too.” Zim chuckled as Dib wiped the tears from his alien’s eyes first, before wiping his own. They helped each other stand and sat back on the couch. A robotic arm brought the remote back to Zim, who looked at Dib questioningly.

“Do you still want to continue the movie? Zim is fine with changing it.” Dib shook his head. He grabbed a blanket from a stack by the couch and pulled it over himself and Zim.

“I’m not gonna run away from my problems with my dad.” The human smiled as he hugged Zim close. “Let’s finish this movie. Not because I want to know how Jim moves on from his dad, but because I want to see if they can find the treasure and rebuild his mother’s inn. I already know how to move on now.” Zim leaned back against Dib and continued the movie. He was glad that Dib was finally ready to move on from his father.


End file.
